About the model

Atelier Wen Inflection

There are watches that are ambitious. And then there are watches that are bold. The Inflection belongs to the latter category. It's not an iteration of an existing concept; it's Atelier Wen's first watch to unapologetically compete with the best haute horlogerie has to offer.

Tantalum: A metal almost never used

The case and every single link of the Inflection bracelet are made of 99.9% pure tantalum. Tantalum is a transition metal with a characteristic dark bluish-grey tone, exceptional resistance to corrosion and chemicals, and almost hypoallergenic properties. It is denser than steel, significantly rarer, and incomparably more difficult to machine. It is used exceptionally rarely in watchmaking.

The Inflection's design deliberately complicates this machinability further. Neither the case nor the bracelet has a single flat surface, only fluid transitions of convex and concave curves. These curves are a direct reference to the Chinese philosophical concept of yin and yang, complementary opposites whose meeting creates a harmonious whole. The combination of strong vertical brushing, frosted surfaces, and concave mirror-polished chamfers captures and amplifies the material's natural luster in a way that cannot be achieved with other metals.

Dial: Grand feu enamel by Kong Lingjun

All three Inflection variants feature grand feu enamel dials from the workshop of Kong Lingjun in Beijing, China's leading watch dial enameler. Each dial undergoes repeated firing in a kiln at temperatures of 750 to 850 °C, and the rejection rate is high. The result is a surface with a depth and luster that no lacquer or resin finish can replicate.

The dial base is made of a sheet of sterling silver 925. The hour markers are the work of designer Lee Yuen-Rapati, inspired by the morphology of Chinese bamboo calligraphy.

The 幽 Yōu variant is limited to 30 pieces. Hand-hammered silver under clear enamel creates a transition from pale green in the center to deep emerald at the periphery. A tonal gradient that is technically the most challenging of all three variants. The 墨 Mò variant features an ink-black enamel, whose perfect surface level had to be achieved through repeated polishing. The 渊 Yuān variant, midnight blue, dramatically changes tone depending on the angle of incident light.

Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP03300

The Inflection is the first Atelier Wen model to feature a movement from the Swiss haute horlogerie manufacture Girard-Perregaux, one of the oldest continuously operating manufactures. The GP03300 caliber has been extensively customized and decorated for the Inflection.

The bridges are shaped into fluid curves that echo the visual motifs of wind from historical Chinese painting, designed by Alfred Chan together with Sidoine Lescauville and the Girard-Perregaux technical team. The surface of the bridges is covered with a ruthenium coating and adorned with distinctive anglage, sharp external chamfers, and laser-engraved wavy Côtes de Genève radiating from the center of the movement. The screws are black polished, and the wind-motif inspired rotor is coated with 5N rose gold. The movement has a power reserve of 48 hours, a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, and a stop-seconds function.

Case and bracelet

Diameter 40 mm, lug-to-lug length 45 mm, thickness 10.2 mm. Screw-down crown, water resistance 100 m. Both front and back crystals are double-domed box-dome sapphire with 5 layers of anti-reflective coating. The case back is fully transparent.

The bracelet, made of the same tantalum, tapers from 22 mm at the case to 18 mm at the clasp. The outer links feature vertical brushing, the central links are mirror polished, and the chamfers are concave polished. The clasp features patented on-the-fly micro-adjustment in four positions and a telescopic deployant blade mechanism. Quick-release spring bars. Optionally, an integrated sailcloth strap with an FKM rubber backing and a tantalum folding clasp is available.

Availability

Annual production capacity is 100 pieces across all three variants. Allocation is based on an internally assessed application to ensure even distribution. Payment is divided into two parts: a 50% deposit upon allocation and a 50% final payment upon shipment.

Technical specifications: Case: 99.9% pure tantalum, mixed convex and concave surfaces, vertical brushing, frosted and mirror-polished surfaces | Diameter: 40 mm | Lug-to-lug length: 45 mm | Thickness: 10.2 mm (incl. crystal) | Screw-down crown | Water resistance: 100 m / 10 ATM | Crystal (front and back): double-domed box-dome sapphire, 5 layers of anti-reflective coating | Dial: grand feu enamel on sterling silver 925, Kong Lingjun (Beijing) | Hands: rhodium-plated leaf (Yōu, Yuān) or in 5N rose gold (Mò), deeply concave polished sides, hand-bent minute and second hands | Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP03300, customized | Bridges: ruthenium, anglage, wavy Côtes de Genève laser-engraved radially, black polished screws | Rotor: wind motif, 5N rose gold | Frequency: 28,800 bph | Jewels: 27 | Power reserve: 48 hours | Stop-seconds: yes | Bracelet: 99.9% tantalum, 22 → 18 mm, on-the-fly micro-adjustment (4 positions), telescopic deployant blade, quick-release | Annual production: 100 pieces | Warranty: 5 years

Technical details:

Case: 40 mm, height 10.2 mm, Lug-to-lug: 45 mm, 99.9% pure tantalum. Screw-down crown

Dial: grand feu enamel on 925 silver, Kong Lingjun (Beijing)

Crystal: sapphire, double-domed box-dome sapphire, 5 layers of anti-reflective coating

Hands: Super-LumiNova X1, rhodium-plated leaf, hand-bent
Water resistance: 100 m
Movement: modified Girard-Perregaux GP03300, customized, 27 jewels. Frequency: 28,800 bph. Power reserve up to 48 hours. Richly decorated.
Bracelet: 22x18mm, tantalum

About the brand

The name Atelier Wen is a programmatic statement: it combines the French word for workshop - atelier - and the Chinese character 文 (Wén), which means culture. This says it all. Atelier Wen is the project of two Frenchmen, Robin and Wilfried, who met in Beijing in 2016 and shared a desire to change the way the world views Chinese craftsmanship.

Robin began collecting watches at sixteen, worked for the French Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and for Christie's in London, and has been an advisor to the Chinese state Watch Industry Association (中国钟表协会) since 2016. Wilfried, a Hong Kong native and graduate of Peking University and Tsinghua University, has coordinated production and design since day one. Outside Atelier Wen, he is behind the launch of Zaapi - a digital commercial infrastructure for Southeast Asia.

Together, they founded Atelier Wen in 2018 with one goal: to create watches with a Chinese soul at the highest level of craftsmanship. Their first Kickstarter campaign reached its funding goal in less than 30 minutes. Since then, the brand has steadily moved upwards - to better materials, more sophisticated movements, and deeper collaboration with Chinese artisans who would otherwise remain unknown to the world beyond China's borders.

Perception V3 is yet the most complete expression of this intention. And certainly not the last.

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